Particle Imagining Velocimetry, Laser Induced Fluorescence and computational modeling are used to quantify the impact of plasma generation on air entrainment into a helium plasma jet. It is demonstrated that discharge generation yields a minor increase in the exit velocity of the gas. In contrast, the laminar to turbulent transition point is strongly affected, attributed to an increase in plasma-induced perturbations within the jet shear layer. The temporal decay of laser induced fluorescence from OH is used as an indicator for humid air within the plasma. The results show that plasma-induced perturbations increase the quenching rate of the OH fluorescent state; indicating shear layer instabilities play a major role in determining the physicochemical characteristics of the plasma.